Costco is going to extremes to keep its rotisserie chicken at $4.99.
If you are a card-carrying member of the warehouse store and you have heard about their rotisserie chicken, chances are good that you've bought one.They are an easy weeknight dinner for the family or a midnight snack for one.Don't think they're hard to resist?More than 64 million of these bad boys were sold in the U.S. in fiscal year 2018, which means warehouse stores across the country are processing 179,000 of them every single day.We don't know what's going on if that is not proof of their popularity.There is a lot that you don't know about this spit-roasted delight.We're here to give you everything you need to know about the chickens before you buy them, from what's in them to how they stack up to competition.
If you are a card-carrying member of the warehouse store and you have heard about their rotisserie chicken, chances are good that you've bought one.They are an easy weeknight dinner for the family or a midnight snack for one.
Don't think they're hard to resist?More than 64 million of these bad boys were sold in the U.S. in fiscal year 2018, which means warehouse stores across the country are processing 179,000 of them every single day.We don't know what's going on if that is not proof of their popularity.
There is a lot that you don't know about this spit-roasted delight.We're here to give you everything you need to know about the chickens before you buy them, from what's in them to how they stack up to competition.
If you've only had one bite of the chicken, you probably assume that it's going to be tender, but it also scores a 10/10 on flavor.What goes into it?The ingredient list for the chicken is pretty simple: whole chicken, water and seasonings (salt, sodiumphosphate, modified food starch, potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, spice extractives), and it turns out that no unicorns were harmed in the making of theThere's nothing frightening here, even if you cringe at a few of those words.It helps keep meat moist and fresh.A modified food starch can be used for a variety of purposes.Potato dextrin can be used to enhance crispness in food.It's probably the most controversial ingredient here, because it helps to retain water.There is evidence to suggest that it can cause negative health effects.There is a sugar made from corn.For most of the time, it seems these add-ons provide that always-winning combo of salty and sweet goodness.You probably eat a lot of foods with scary labels that don't taste as good as Costco's rotisserie chicken.
If you've only had one bite of the chicken, you probably assume that it's going to be tender, but it also scores a 10/10 on flavor.What goes into it?
The ingredient list for the chicken is pretty simple: whole chicken, water and seasonings (salt, sodiumphosphate, modified food starch, potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, spice extractives), and it turns out that no unicorns were harmed in the making of theThere's nothing frightening here, even if you cringe at a few of those words.It helps keep meat moist and fresh.A modified food starch can be used for a variety of purposes.Potato dextrin can be used to enhance crispness in food.It's probably the most controversial ingredient here, because it helps to retain water.There is evidence to suggest that it can cause negative health effects.There is a sugar made from corn.
For most of the time, it seems these add-ons provide that always-winning combo of salty and sweet goodness.You probably eat a lot of foods with scary labels that don't taste as good as Costco's rotisserie chicken.
Did you know that the ingredient list of other grocery store rotisserie chickens is usually the same?Look again.There is no monosodium glutamate there.Although it gets a bad rap, there's no doubt that it makes food taste great.That's neither here nor there, because the chicken doesn't need to taste amazing.There's a lot of salt and sugar in that seasoning blend already.Adding the flavor enhancer to the situation would be an embarrassment of riches.It's another thing you don't have to worry about.It's possible that you're allergic to gluten.A company representative confirmed that these bad boys are free of gluten, which is not always the case with grocery store rotisserie chickens.
Did you know that the ingredient list of other grocery store rotisserie chickens is usually the same?Look again.There is no monosodium glutamate there.
Although it gets a bad rap, there's no doubt that it makes food taste great.That's neither here nor there, because the chicken doesn't need to taste amazing.There's a lot of salt and sugar in that seasoning blend already.Adding the flavor enhancer to the situation would be an embarrassment of riches.
It's another thing you don't have to worry about.It's possible that you're allergic to gluten.A company representative confirmed that these bad boys are free of gluten, which is not always the case with grocery store rotisserie chickens.
If there is one knock on any brand of chicken, it's the high salt content.It is packed with its fair share, but it is not the worst.Bonnie Taub-Dix told Today that a 3-ounce serving of chicken can have as much as 600 milligrams of sodium.The serving size of their chicken is the same as that of Sam's Club, but it has more salt in it.Is it possible to find delicious rotisserie chicken with less salt?The question is, does it taste as good as Publix's chicken?Let's take a look at a Mcdonalds Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese since we don't think twice about the amount of salt in it.1,310 parts per million.Is there a Wendy's baconator?The amount is 1, 630.The FDA says the recommended daily value of salt is less than 2,300 milligrams.You can either have five or one baconator.Right now, those chicken options are looking good.As long as we're talking nutrition, you can get 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 19 calories from that 3-ounce serving of Costco rotisserie chicken.
If there is one knock on any brand of chicken, it's the high salt content.It is packed with its fair share, but it is not the worst.
Bonnie Taub-Dix told Today that a 3-ounce serving of chicken can have as much as 600 milligrams of sodium.The serving size of their chicken is the same as that of Sam's Club, but it has more salt in it.Is it possible to find delicious rotisserie chicken with less salt?The question is, does it taste as good as Publix's chicken?
Let's take a look at a Mcdonalds Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese since we don't think twice about the amount of salt in it.1,310 parts per million.Is there a Wendy's baconator?The amount is 1, 630.The FDA says the recommended daily value of salt is less than 2,300 milligrams.You can either have five or one baconator.Right now, those chicken options are looking good.
As long as we're talking nutrition, you can get 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 19 calories from that 3-ounce serving of Costco rotisserie chicken.
You go to the store for great deals on large items.You should expect the same thing with the chicken.For the bargain-basement price of $4.99, you get a monster of a bird whose price and weight beat the pants off competitors' offerings.At a weight of at least 3 pounds cooked, Costco's rotisserie chicken dwarfs those sold by other stores.If you're shopping at Whole Foods, you will pay $10 for a 2 pound bird, but if you find it elsewhere, it will cost you up to $7.You don't need to be a genius to know that paying $5 for a 3-pound chicken is better than paying $7 for the same size chicken.Not only is it a steal for its size, but it's also number one in taste tests, which is completely unsurprising if you've ever had a bite.It is tops if it goes up against Sam's Club, Walmart, Kroger, or Whole Foods.The old adage "you get what you pay for" does not apply in the case of Costco's rotisserie chicken.
You go to the store for great deals on large items.You should expect the same thing with the chicken.For the bargain-basement price of $4.99, you get a monster of a bird whose price and weight beat the pants off competitors' offerings.
At a weight of at least 3 pounds cooked, Costco's rotisserie chicken dwarfs those sold by other stores.If you're shopping at Whole Foods, you will pay $10 for a 2 pound bird, but if you find it elsewhere, it will cost you up to $7.You don't need to be a genius to know that paying $5 for a 3-pound chicken is better than paying $7 for the same size chicken.
Not only is it a steal for its size, but it's also number one in taste tests, which is completely unsurprising if you've ever had a bite.It is tops if it goes up against Sam's Club, Walmart, Kroger, or Whole Foods.
The old adage "you get what you pay for" does not apply in the case of Costco's rotisserie chicken.
You know you're going to get a hefty bird no matter which one you choose, but you still want to pick the best, freshest one possible, and once you know what to look for, it's easy.The senior food editor at Bon Appétit says that the heavier the chicken, the more fresh it is.He says that you will feel a difference between the birds that just came out of the oven and the ones that have been sitting there all day.The skin tells a story.As the juices leave the meat, the chicken's skin becomes discolored, so you want evenly brown and taut skin.A former Costco meat department manager shared a useful tip on the internet, saying to look for ones that touch the top of the lid, they weigh the most.You should grab your chicken at the end of your shopping trip.We all know how easy it is to get lost in the maze of aisles that make up that heavenly warehouse store, and for safety's sake, the USDA recommends that cooked food be refrigerated within two hours.
You know you're going to get a hefty bird no matter which one you choose, but you still want to pick the best, freshest one possible, and once you know what to look for, it's easy.
The senior food editor at Bon Appétit says that the heavier the chicken, the more fresh it is.He says that you will feel a difference between the birds that just came out of the oven and the ones that have been sitting there all day.The skin tells a story.As the juices leave the meat, the chicken's skin becomes discolored, so you want evenly brown and taut skin.
A former Costco meat department manager shared a useful tip on the internet, saying to look for ones that touch the top of the lid, they weigh the most.
You should grab your chicken at the end of your shopping trip.We all know how easy it is to get lost in the maze of aisles that make up that heavenly warehouse store, and for safety's sake, the USDA recommends that cooked food be refrigerated within two hours.
If you've never had the pleasure of eating a rotisserie chicken at a store, you need to know that the skin will almost certainly not be crisp.If you waited at the flaming wall and ate the skin off the bird the second it was pulled from the spit it would be crisp.After it's roasted to tender perfection, the chicken gets placed into a plastic container, waiting to go home with you, and by the time it makes its journey to your kitchen, that skin is more soggy than crisp.Don't get us wrong, it's still delicious, but you will have to restrain yourself from stripping each and every last bit of salty, brown skin off in one sitting.Absolutely delicious, but definitely not crisp.
If you've never had the pleasure of eating a rotisserie chicken at a store, you need to know that the skin will almost certainly not be crisp.
If you waited at the flaming wall and ate the skin off the bird the second it was pulled from the spit it would be crisp.After it's roasted to tender perfection, the chicken gets placed into a plastic container, waiting to go home with you, and by the time it makes its journey to your kitchen, that skin is more soggy than crisp.Don't get us wrong, it's still delicious, but you will have to restrain yourself from stripping each and every last bit of salty, brown skin off in one sitting.Absolutely delicious, but definitely not crisp.
The loss leader is defined as merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers.Chances are good that you're not making the trek to the warehouse store for one single chicken, and that's why Costco is willing to sell those chickens at $4.99, even if they aren't making any money on them.Even if you think you're going to run in and grab a hot chicken, how often do you actually do that?You remember that you're almost out of laundry detergent, you see a pair of designer jeans that are so cheap you have to have them, or you get suckered into buying a 36-pack of sausages because the sample was that good.Nine times out of 10, you're leaving the store with more than the chicken and less money in your wallet.They're not doing it out of the goodness of their heart, even though they might be willing to sell you a delicious chicken for under $5.
The loss leader is defined as merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers.Chances are good that you're not making the trek to the warehouse store for one single chicken, and that's why Costco is willing to sell those chickens at $4.99, even if they aren't making any money on them.
Even if you think you're going to run in and grab a hot chicken, how often do you actually do that?You remember that you're almost out of laundry detergent, you see a pair of designer jeans that are so cheap you have to have them, or you get suckered into buying a 36-pack of sausages because the sample was that good.Nine times out of 10, you're leaving the store with more than the chicken and less money in your wallet.They're not doing it out of the goodness of their heart, even though they might be willing to sell you a delicious chicken for under $5.
A lot of other grocery stores' chickens are packaged in plastic.It seems like a fairly logical and inexpensive way to get that steaming hot chicken from the warehouse store to your kitchen, and you probably don't give too much thought to the packaging.The alternative uses less plastic than the ones that are used.Whole Foods will be selling their rotisserie chickens in bags rather than hard plastic clamshells, a move that will reduce an estimated 800,000 pounds of plastic per year.Wegman's had already made the change to selling their chickens in pouches, and said they use 75 percent less plastic than the standard domes.With 64 million chickens sold each year, it's easy to see how much plastic waste there is.Does this mean you shouldn't buy chickens from the store?It's for you to decide.
A lot of other grocery stores' chickens are packaged in plastic.It seems like a fairly logical and inexpensive way to get that steaming hot chicken from the warehouse store to your kitchen, and you probably don't give too much thought to the packaging.The alternative uses less plastic than the ones that are used.
Whole Foods will be selling their rotisserie chickens in bags rather than hard plastic clamshells, a move that will reduce an estimated 800,000 pounds of plastic per year.Wegman's had already made the change to selling their chickens in pouches, and said they use 75 percent less plastic than the standard domes.
With 64 million chickens sold each year, it's easy to see how much plastic waste there is.Does this mean you shouldn't buy chickens from the store?It's for you to decide.
Is there anything better than a fresh-off-the-spit chicken?It depends on how you feel about bargains.If you are willing to forgo that steaming hot whole chicken, you will be in for a steal of the century.There are packs of eight leg quarters, the thigh and drumstick, for $4.99 at some Costco locations.The price is the same as a whole chicken.You're missing two breasts and two tiny wings, but eight leg quarters would yield more meat than a whole chicken.Adding more thighs and drumsticks will make up for that.You get all dark meat.The best times to score this deal are early mornings and Tuesday through Friday because the chickens are more likely to sell out on the weekends.
Is there anything better than a fresh-off-the-spit chicken?It depends on how you feel about bargains.If you are willing to forgo that steaming hot whole chicken, you will be in for a steal of the century.
There are packs of eight leg quarters, the thigh and drumstick, for $4.99 at some Costco locations.The price is the same as a whole chicken.You're missing two breasts and two tiny wings, but eight leg quarters would yield more meat than a whole chicken.Adding more thighs and drumsticks will make up for that.You get all dark meat.
The best times to score this deal are early mornings and Tuesday through Friday because the chickens are more likely to sell out on the weekends.
Do you want to get the most meat from your chicken?It's all about the wishbone, baby.We know that the mastermind behind the publication is the reigning queen of 30-minute meals, and she's probably never met a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken she didn't like, which is why we should trust this hack.It also means that you'll walk away with more meat because breaking down your chicken will be easier.The wishbone is good for more than just making wishes once you've carved your bird, pulling it out before you start to carve is the key to success.The publication says to feel for the Y-shaped wishbone between the neck and the breast.Make a small cut behind the bone and then use your fingers to loosen it.You can remove the breast in one piece by running your fingers along the backbone.It's all over.You won't have to wrestle with the carcass to get every last scrap of breast meat off.Win, win.
Do you want to get the most meat from your chicken?It's all about the wishbone, baby.
We know that the mastermind behind the publication is the reigning queen of 30-minute meals, and she's probably never met a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken she didn't like, which is why we should trust this hack.It also means that you'll walk away with more meat because breaking down your chicken will be easier.
The wishbone is good for more than just making wishes once you've carved your bird, pulling it out before you start to carve is the key to success.The publication says to feel for the Y-shaped wishbone between the neck and the breast.Make a small cut behind the bone and then use your fingers to loosen it.You can remove the breast in one piece by running your fingers along the backbone.It's all over.You won't have to wrestle with the carcass to get every last scrap of breast meat off.Win, win.
After breaking down raw chicken, stock recipes usually call for the bones and scraps.You're missing out if you don't use the carcass from your chicken to make stock.When you use the bones from an already roasted bird, you'll be left with a darker stock, which will add more flavor to your dish.The same process as using raw chicken parts is used to make stock with pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.While spending the time to make stock from a convenience item like rotisserie chicken might seem like a lot of work, think about it this way: You paid just $4.99 for that bird, which is a steal to begin with, and now for a few pennies worth of veggies you're also gettingIsn't that worth the trouble?
After breaking down raw chicken, stock recipes usually call for the bones and scraps.You're missing out if you don't use the carcass from your chicken to make stock.
When you use the bones from an already roasted bird, you'll be left with a darker stock, which will add more flavor to your dish.The same process as using raw chicken parts is used to make stock with pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
While spending the time to make stock from a convenience item like rotisserie chicken might seem like a lot of work, think about it this way: You paid just $4.99 for that bird, which is a steal to begin with, and now for a few pennies worth of veggies you're also gettingIsn't that worth the trouble?
It's a great idea for a dinnertime shortcut, and we're not judging, because you want to take advantage of the convenience.The problem is that your recipe calls for a certain amount of meat and you don't know how much it will yield once you get it off the bone.It's a lot.According to Betty Crocker, the average rotisserie chicken is about 2 pounds, and will yield 3 cups of meat (2 cups white, 1 cup dark), which equates to about 1 pound.How much can you expect from the rotisserie chickens that are larger than the average bird?The food writer broke down the two chickens and got a total of 5 pounds out of them.Not to state the obvious, but that's a lot more than your standard rotisserie chicken, and should be plenty for whatever recipe you've got in mind.